Out of Office Email Templates: 15 Examples to Copy Right Now

Your bags are packed, your handover notes are done, and your annual leave is officially approved — then you remember you still haven't set up your out of office reply. It takes 30 seconds to copy a bad one and about two minutes to write a genuinely useful one. That two-minute difference shapes how every person who emails you experiences your absence.

Most out of office messages do the bare minimum: "I'm out of office until X." That tells the sender almost nothing. Who should they contact if it's urgent? Will you respond when you're back, or will their message disappear into the void? A well-crafted OOO email does real work even while you're offline.

An out of office email (OOO) is an automatic reply sent to anyone who emails you while you're away. A good one sets expectations, names a point of contact for urgent matters, and confirms a specific return date.

In this guide, you'll find 15 copy-paste templates organized by situation — holiday, sick leave, parental leave, work travel, and specialist scenarios — along with a breakdown of what makes a great out of office message, step-by-step setup instructions for Gmail and Outlook, and the mistakes that turn a helpful auto reply into a frustrating dead end.

What Makes a Good Out of Office Email?

Before you copy a template, it helps to understand the five elements that separate a useful OOO from one that creates more problems than it solves. Getting these right means your email correspondence continues smoothly even when you're not there to manage it.

Your return date — and make it specific. This is the single most important piece of information in any out of office message. "I'll be back on Monday 14 April" is infinitely more useful than "I'll be back soon." Vague return dates force the sender to guess whether they should wait, follow up, or find someone else.

Whether you'll have limited access. Are you checking email once a day from a hotel lobby, or are you completely disconnected for two weeks? Senders adjust their expectations based on this — but only if you tell them. Be honest. If you're not checking, say so.

An alternative contact for urgent matters. Name, role, and email address of the person covering for you. Without this, every time-sensitive email is a dead end. Even a shared team inbox works. The point is giving the sender somewhere to go.

A brief reason for your absence (optional but helpful). You don't need to share your itinerary. "I'm on annual leave" or "I'm attending a conference" gives senders enough context to calibrate their urgency without oversharing.

A commitment to follow up. "I'll respond to your email when I return on [date]" closes the loop. It tells the sender their message won't be forgotten and reduces the anxiety that drives follow-up emails.

What to leave out: Vague return timelines, personal details about where you're going or why, passive-aggressive tones ("If this were truly urgent, you would have planned ahead"), and anything that reads more like a journal entry than a professional auto reply. If you want a refresher on structuring professional emails in general, our guide to the parts of an email covers the fundamentals.

The 15 Out of Office Email Templates

The templates below are organised into five categories. Each one includes the full OOO message body, a "use this when" note, and a customisation tip. Copy the one that fits, adjust the bracketed fields, and you're done.

Holiday and Annual Leave (Templates 1–3)

Template 1: Standard Holiday OOO

Thank you for your email. I'm currently on annual leave and will be back in the office on [Date].
During my absence, I won't be checking email. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email address] — they'll be happy to help.
I'll respond to your email when I return. Thank you for your patience.
Best regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You're taking standard annual leave and want a clean, professional auto reply that works for any audience.

Customise: The return date and the alternative contact. That's all this one needs.

Template 2: Holiday OOO With Humour

Hi there! I'm currently out of the office and officially offline — no laptop, no Slack, just sunshine and probably too much coffee.
I'll be back on [Date] and will get to your email shortly after. If something can't wait, [Name] ([email address]) is your person — they're brilliant and fully briefed.
Talk soon! [Your Name]

Use this when: Your workplace culture is relaxed, your audience is mostly internal, or you work in a creative industry where personality is encouraged.

Customise: The tone. If you're unsure whether humour is appropriate, send the professional version to external contacts instead. Outlook lets you set separate messages for internal and external senders — use that feature.

Template 3: Extended Holiday OOO (2+ Weeks)

Thank you for your message. I'm on extended leave and will not be available until [Date].
As I'll be away for an extended period, I won't be monitoring email during this time. For anything that needs attention before my return, please reach out to [Name], [Role], at [email address]. They have full context on my active projects and can assist you directly.
I'll work through my inbox when I'm back on [Date]. Thank you for your understanding.
Kind regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You're taking two or more weeks off and need to set stronger expectations. The longer your absence, the more important the alternative contact becomes — make sure you include their role so senders know they're reaching someone who can actually help.

Customise: Emphasise the alternative contact's capabilities. "Full context on my active projects" reassures the sender they're not being handed off to a stranger.

Sick Leave (Templates 4–6)

If you need a more detailed email to notify your manager about a sick day (before the OOO goes up), our sick leave email templates cover that separately.

Template 4: Planned Sick Leave or Medical Procedure

Thank you for your email. I'm currently away from the office for a scheduled medical appointment and will return on [Date].
I won't be checking email during this time. For anything urgent, please contact [Name] at [email address].
I'll follow up on your message when I'm back.
Regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You have a planned medical procedure or appointment with a known return date. This template is factual and brief — it tells the sender what they need without explaining anything they don't.

Customise: Only the return date and the cover contact. There's no need to specify the nature of the appointment.

Template 5: Unexpected Sick Leave

Thank you for reaching out. I'm currently out of the office due to illness and expect to return by [approximate date].
I'll have limited access to email during this time. For urgent matters, please contact [Name] at [email address], who can assist in my absence.
I'll respond to your email as soon as I'm able. Thank you for your patience.
Kind regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You've called in sick unexpectedly but have a reasonable idea of when you'll be back. The phrasing "expect to return by" gives you flexibility without being vague.

Customise: The approximate return date. If your absence may extend, update the OOO rather than leaving an outdated date.

Template 6: Open-Ended Sick Leave

Thank you for your email. I'm currently away from the office on medical leave. My return date is to be confirmed, and I will not be checking email during this time.
For all matters, please contact [Name], [Role], at [email address]. They are covering my responsibilities and will be able to help you directly.
I appreciate your understanding.
Best regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You genuinely don't know when you'll return. This is a sensitive situation, and the template is written to be compassionate toward yourself — it doesn't apologise, doesn't over-explain, and redirects all work cleanly.

Customise: Make sure the alternative contact is briefed thoroughly, since they may be covering for an indefinite period.

Parental Leave (Templates 7–9)

Template 7: Parental Leave (Known Return Date)

Thank you for your message. I'm currently on parental leave and will return to the office on [Date].
I won't be available by email during my leave. For anything that needs immediate attention, please contact [Name], [Role], at [email address]. They'll be handling my responsibilities while I'm away.
I look forward to reconnecting when I'm back.
Warm regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You've started parental leave and have a confirmed return date. The tone here is warm but professional — it acknowledges the life event without going into personal detail.

Customise: The cover contact. For parental leave, this person will be handling your work for weeks or months, so naming their role adds credibility.

Template 8: Parental Leave (Return Date TBC)

Thank you for your email. I'm currently on parental leave. My return date has not yet been confirmed, but I expect to be back around [approximate month or timeframe].
I won't be monitoring email during this time. For all work-related matters, please contact [Name] at [email address] — they're fully covering my role and can help you with anything you need.
Thank you for your understanding.
Best, [Your Name]

Use this when: Your return date depends on circumstances that are still evolving — parental leave timelines aren't always fixed, and this template handles that gracefully.

Customise: Use an approximate timeframe ("early September" or "Q4") rather than a specific date you're not sure about.

Template 9: Shared Parental Leave

Thank you for reaching out. I'm on shared parental leave and will be away from the office until [Date or approximate timeframe].
I won't have access to email during this period. My responsibilities are being managed by [Name], [Role], at [email address]. Please direct any queries to them and they'll take care of things.
I'll be in touch once I'm back. Thank you for your patience.
Kind regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You're taking shared parental leave, which may involve a longer or non-standard absence. This template sets expectations without needing to explain the specific arrangement.

Customise: The timeframe. If you're taking leave in blocks, update the OOO for each period rather than setting one long message.

Work Travel and Conferences (Templates 10–12)

Template 10: Conference or Training

Thanks for your email. I'm attending [Conference/Training Name] from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will have limited access to email during this time.
I'll be checking email periodically but may be slower to respond than usual. If something is urgent, please reach out to [Name] at [email address].
I'll get back to you fully when I return on [Date].
Best, [Your Name]

Use this when: You're at a conference, training event, or offsite where you're technically reachable but not sitting at your desk. The key here is managing response-time expectations, not declaring yourself absent.

Customise: Whether you mention the specific event name depends on your audience. External clients may benefit from knowing you're at an industry conference; internal colleagues just need the dates.

Template 11: International Work Travel

Thank you for your email. I'm currently travelling for work and operating in the [Timezone] timezone from [Start Date] to [End Date].
I'll be checking email, but my response times may be delayed due to the time difference. For anything time-sensitive during [your usual timezone] business hours, please contact [Name] at [email address].
Thanks for your understanding.
Best regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You're travelling internationally for work and the timezone difference will affect your responsiveness. This template is ideal for client-facing roles where response time matters.

Customise: The timezone. Be specific — "I'm operating in GMT+9" or "I'm on Singapore time" gives the sender something they can work with.

Template 12: Client Site or Field Work

Thanks for your message. I'm working on-site at a client location from [Start Date] to [End Date] and will have limited availability for email.
I'll aim to respond within 24 hours where possible. For anything that can't wait, please contact [Name] at [email address] — they can help with most enquiries in the meantime.
Regards, [Your Name]

Use this when: You're away from your usual desk but still working — at a client site, on a job site, or in the field. You're not absent, just harder to reach. This template sets a response delay expectation without implying you're on leave.

Customise: The expected response window. "Within 24 hours" works for most roles, but adjust based on what's realistic.

Specialist Situations (Templates 13–15)

Template 13: Sabbatical

Thank you for your email. I'm currently on a sabbatical from [Company Name] and will not be available until [Date].
This is an extended absence, and I won't be checking email during this period. All of my responsibilities have been handed over to [Name], [Role], at [email address]. Please contact them directly for any work-related matters.
I look forward to reconnecting after my return.
Best wishes, [Your Name]

Use this when: You're on a formal sabbatical — weeks or months away from work. The language here is deliberately more formal than a holiday OOO because the absence is longer and the handover is more structured.

Customise: Make it very clear this isn't a short break. Including "extended absence" and "all responsibilities have been handed over" signals to the sender that they should work with your cover contact, not wait for you.

Template 14: Company-Wide Shutdown

Thank you for your email. [Company Name] is closed for a company-wide shutdown from [Start Date] to [End Date]. All staff are away during this time and no emails will be monitored.
We'll reopen on [Date], and your message will be addressed then. If your matter is genuinely urgent, please call [emergency phone number or process].
Happy holidays from all of us at [Company Name].
Best regards, [Your Name / Team Name]

Use this when: Your entire company is shutting down for a holiday period (Christmas, national holidays, etc.). This template removes the "can I reach someone else?" question entirely — nobody is available, and that's fine.

Customise: Whether to include an emergency contact. If your industry requires it (healthcare, IT support, critical infrastructure), include a phone number. Otherwise, the message stands on its own.

Template 15: Freelancer or Solo Operator

Thanks for reaching out! I'm currently away from [Start Date] to [End Date] and won't be taking on new enquiries or responding to email during this time.
Any projects already in progress will resume when I'm back on [Date]. If you're reaching out about a new project, I'd love to hear from you — just know I'll reply once I'm back at my desk.
Thanks for your patience, and talk soon.
[Your Name]

Use this when: You work independently and there's no team to hand off to. This template acknowledges the solo reality — there's no alternative contact because you are the business — and sets clear expectations instead.

Customise: Whether you want to acknowledge new enquiries. If you're a freelancer who doesn't want to lose leads while you're away, the "I'd love to hear from you" line keeps the door open.

How to Set Up an Out of Office in Gmail and Outlook

Having a great template is only half the job — you also need to actually turn on the auto reply. Here's how to do it in the two most common email platforms. If you regularly use Gmail templates beyond OOO, our guide to creating email templates in Gmail covers the broader setup.

Gmail (Vacation Responder)

Google calls its out of office feature "Vacation responder" — which can be confusing if you're searching for "out of office Gmail." Here's the setup:

1. Open Gmail and click the gear icon in the top right, then select See all settings.
2. Scroll down in the General tab until you find Vacation responder.
3. Toggle it to Vacation responder on.
4. Set your First day and Last day. The last day field is optional, but you should always set it — this is the step most people miss, and it's what causes the "OOO still running three days after I returned" problem.
5. Write your subject line and message (paste your template here), then click Save Changes.

One useful Gmail option: check the box that says "Only send a response to people in my Contacts." This prevents your OOO from replying to newsletters, marketing emails, and spam.

Outlook (Desktop App)

1. Open Outlook and go to File → Automatic Replies (Out of Office).
2. Select Send automatic replies.
3. Check the box that says Only send during this time range and set your start and end dates. This is critical — it ensures the OOO turns itself off automatically.
4. Write your message in the Inside My Organization tab (paste your template here).
5. Switch to the Outside My Organization tab and write a separate, possibly more formal, version for external contacts.

Outlook's ability to send different messages to internal and external senders is one of its strongest OOO features. Your colleagues don't need the same level of formality as a client.

Outlook on the Web (OWA)

1. Click the gear icon in the top right, then select View all Outlook settings.
2. Navigate to Mail → Automatic replies.
3. Toggle automatic replies on and set your date range.
4. Write your message and, optionally, tick the box to send replies only to contacts.

The web version follows the same logic as the desktop app but lives in a slightly different menu location — worth covering because many corporate users access Outlook exclusively through the browser.

Out of Office Email Best Practices

Templates give you the words, but these six tips will help you use them well. Think of this as a quick checklist to run through before you leave. For a broader look at keeping your inbox under control, see our guide to email inbox management best practices.

Set it up the day before, not the morning you leave. Last-minute setup means last-minute mistakes. Write your OOO the day before your absence starts, then send yourself a test from a personal email account to make sure it actually works. OOO settings that didn't save properly are more common than you'd expect.

Use separate internal and external messages where possible. Outlook supports this natively. Your colleagues don't need the same message as your clients — the internal version can be more casual and include details like which Slack channel to use, while the external version stays polished and professional. Matching the right email greeting to each audience makes a real difference.

Don't auto-reply to newsletters and marketing emails. Configure your OOO to reply only to people in your contacts or your organisation. Otherwise, you risk triggering spam loops and cluttering your own bounce-back logs with automated replies to automated emails.

Confirm your cover contact has agreed to be named. Putting someone's email in your OOO without telling them is surprisingly common — and it puts them in an awkward position when they start receiving messages they weren't expecting. A quick heads-up takes thirty seconds.

Match your tone to your workplace. A playful OOO is great in a creative agency; it's risky in a law firm or a regulated industry. When in doubt, professional beats clever. And if you're using humour, make sure the return date and cover contact are still front and centre — funny doesn't mean unhelpful.

Set a calendar reminder if your email client doesn't auto-stop. If you forgot to tick the "end date" box, set a reminder for your first morning back to manually turn off the auto reply. Coming back from leave with your OOO still firing for three days is unprofessional and confuses clients.

Common Out of Office Mistakes to Avoid

Even a short auto reply can create problems if you overlook a few basics. These six mistakes come up repeatedly — and they're all easy to prevent.

Vague return dates. "I'll be back soon" or "I'm away for a few days" tells the sender nothing actionable. Always include a specific date. If you don't know your exact return date, give an approximate one and frame it that way: "I expect to be back by [date]."

No alternative contact. For anything time-sensitive, a dead-end OOO creates real business problems. Always include a cover contact — even if it's just a shared team inbox or a general support address. The goal is to give the sender somewhere to go.

Oversharing personal details. "I'm in Bali for three weeks at a wellness retreat" is more information than any sender needs. It's also a security risk — broadcasting that you're away from home for an extended period isn't wise, especially if your OOO goes to external contacts. Keep it simple: "I'm on annual leave" is sufficient.

Forgetting to turn it off. Returning from leave with your OOO still running for days is one of the most common mistakes, and it's easily avoided. Use the auto-stop feature in your email client, or set a calendar reminder for your first morning back.

Tone mismatch. A lighthearted OOO sent to a client who just emailed about a complaint lands badly. If your email platform supports it, set a separate, more neutral external message. If it doesn't, default to professional.

Not testing it. Always send yourself a test email from a different account before you leave. It takes ten seconds, and it catches the surprisingly common problem of OOO settings that didn't save properly or messages that display with broken formatting.

FAQs

How long should an out of office message be? Aim for 50 to 100 words. That's long enough to include a return date, a cover contact, and a brief note about your availability — and short enough that the sender will actually read it. Longer is rarely better; nobody wants to read a three-paragraph auto reply.

Should I set an out of office for a one-day absence? It depends on your role. For internal-only roles where colleagues can see your calendar, it's usually unnecessary. For external-facing positions where clients or partners may email you expecting a same-day response, even a one-day OOO is good practice.

Is it OK to have a funny out of office? Yes — in the right culture. Humour works well in creative, informal, or startup environments. But even a funny OOO still needs to include the essentials: your return date and a cover contact. Wit without information is just confusing.

Should I reply to emails manually even though my OOO is on? Only for genuinely urgent matters. The whole point of an OOO is to set a boundary. If you reply to every email during your leave, you train people to expect that you're always reachable — and your OOO becomes meaningless.

Can I set different OOO messages for internal and external senders? Yes, in Outlook — it's a built-in feature. Gmail doesn't support this natively, though you can achieve something similar using filters and canned responses. It's worth the effort if you regularly communicate with both colleagues and external clients.

What's the difference between an out of office and a vacation responder? Nothing functional. Gmail calls it a "vacation responder," Outlook calls it "automatic replies," and most people call it an "out of office." They all do the same thing: send an automated reply when someone emails you.

Wrapping Up

A good out of office email takes about two minutes to write and does real work for you while you're away — managing expectations, redirecting urgent queries, and protecting your time off. The specific template you choose matters less than the three essentials: a specific return date, a cover contact, and a professional tone.

If you're setting up an OOO because you're about to leave a job, you may also need a last working day goodbye email for your final day, or a thank you email after your interview at your next company. And if you're looking to sharpen the tone and structure of all your professional emails, our email writing format guide is a good place to start.

Need to manage your inbox before you leave? Tabular lets you design emails, save templates, and keep everything in one place — so your last task before signing off is as smooth as possible.